


Always In Your Shadow

by Gemology



Series: It's just magic, okay? [1]
Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Best Friends, Comfort, Comfort/Angst, Ducks, Episode: s01e23 The Shadow War!, F/F, Female Friendship, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Magic, Magic Mirrors, Magic-Users, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mirror Universe, Mirrors, Reunion, Reunions, Sad, Shadow Realm, Shadows - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-29 14:52:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15731667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gemology/pseuds/Gemology
Summary: Webby thought Lena was gone for good. Turns out, best friends never go very far.





	Always In Your Shadow

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the latest episode of DuckTales. If you haven't seen "The Shadow War!", please don't read this. Spoilers ahead, you have been warned.

Webby walked through the halls of McDuck Manor, as she often had in the past. Though she had formerly traversed them when bored or lonely, more often she did so to clear her head and think. With the addition of Scrooge's family to the estate, the halls were not so often empty anymore, and Webby was not so often bored.

But after the recent battle with Magica De Spell, her frequent walks had become lonely again. The triplets knew things had been especially hard on Webby, and took every opportunity to keep her occupied, trying to keep her mind off the loss of her friend. They considered themselves her friends too, but knew very well the deep bond the two had shared, akin to their own bond as brothers.

Sometimes, Webby just liked being alone.

During one such walk, she encountered some strange occurrences. She was fiddling with her woven friendship bracelet, which she never took off since it served as one of the only reminders of Lena she had. Suddenly, she felt a light gust of wind blow just past her ear, and she could have sworn she heard her name being whispered. She whirled around, expecting to find one of the boys playing a prank.

"Huey? Dewey? Louie?" she called out their names. There was very little on this Earth that she feared, but since Magica De Spell had escaped after their previous confrontation, she'd been on edge. True, Magica had lost most of her power in the fight, but she'd still gained a body, and there were many other magical items in this world that could result in her return.

But there was no one.

Webby scowled. It was her mind playing tricks on her. The house was old and prone to draftiness. She should have known that. A little breeze meant nothing. She continued her walk, but with an added air of caution, just in case.

As she moved along, starting to relax and enjoy her quiet time, she felt something brush against her ankle, and she was so surprised she nearly tripped. But there was no one else around, and the triplets weren't that good at pranking without laughing, so she knew from the silence it couldn't possibly be them, especially a second time.

The young duckling decided it would probably be best to head back towards the rest of the family. If Magica was lurking around, she might not be able to fight her off on her own. There were also a number of other dark forces in the universe which could be haunting the manor, but in any case she stood a better chance if she wasn't alone.

When passing a mirror, Webby thought she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. When she looked up, again there was nothing and no one. Again, tricks of the mind, this time no doubt from her extra caution and hurried pace. Webby stared at the mirror for several moments, squinting her eyes in hopes of catching another glimpse of whatever she had seen before.

Just when she was about to carry on with her walk, she noticed her own shadow behind her. And the fact that it had a pair of white glowing eyes. Webby jumped back, turning towards her secret follower, throwing up her fists in preparation for the foe to come to life and attempt to duel with her.

But curiously, it didn't rise up from the ground and attack. Instead, it snarked, "Took you long enough."

"Lena?!" Webby stepped back in shock, bumping into the mirror.

"That's my name, don't wear it out," she replied from behind.

Webby turned to look in the mirror, and there, staring back at her, was her best friend. "Lena!" she yelled again. "You're alive? But how? Where have you been? I'm so glad to see you! I wish I could hug you right now. How did you get in that mirror?"

"Slow your roll, one question at a time," Lena laughed. "Magica hit me pretty hard with her staff. I don't think I would have survived if I wasn't wearing your friendship bracelet. It connected us together. When she tried to destroy me, I thought that was it. But somehow, I got transferred into your bracelet, sort of, I guess. I needed some time to recover, but now I tag along with your shadow, live in your dreams, and inhabit mirrors sometimes. Don't ask me how it works, it's magic," she shrugged. "I just know that I'm only alive- well, as alive as I ever was- because you felt so strongly about me."

"Now I  _really_  want to hug you!" Webby flattened her arms against the mirror as tears spilled from her eyes. "I've missed you so much. I never thought I'd see you again."

"I didn't expect to see you again, either. I don't even know how I'm still here if Magica isn't. I was  _her_  shadow," Lena sat down and crossed her legs, and Webby followed suit. "I know that while she kept me around, I absorbed a lot of her magic. I was even able to use it of my own will. Remember the money shark? I used  _her_  powers to rescue you. She wanted me to grab the dime but I  _chose_  to save you instead. Shadows aren't supposed to make their own decisions. They aren't supposed to actually be alive. They don't have free will," she sighed, placing her chin in her palm and resting her elbow on her leg.

Something seemed to dawn on her as she sat staring at Webby. "Maybe you believing in me was what made me really, well,  _real_. I don't think that I ever truly felt "real" until you treated me like a person. Nobody had ever done that before. I mean, I guess I wasn't around that long and the only people I interacted with were you and your family, but still."

Webby frowned. "But you always knew you were a part of Magica De Spell. You would have been safe if you stayed as her shadow. I know you're my friend, but why would you sacrifice yourself? You could have ceased to exist. You didn't know the bracelet would save you."

Lena thought for a moment. "When I was with you in The Other Bin, the dreamcatcher revealed my worst nightmare. How could a shadow even have nightmares? How could they have any dreams at all? I started to realize that the bracelet you gave me wasn't just a silly sentimental trinket. It made me more like a genuine person," Lena pulled back her sleeve so she could look down at her bracelet.

"I never told you what my dream was. In my nightmare, I destroyed you. My worst fear wasn't just about losing the most important person in the world to me, but being responsible for it. So when it became a reality after Magica escaped, I couldn't let it happen. Not again," Lena shook her head.

"So, are you trapped forever?" Webby asked.

"I don't know," Lena replied. "Magica freed me once, gave me a solid body and a thinking mind and maybe even some semblance of a soul. But I don't have her powers anymore. I'm back to being a shadow."

Webby jumped to her feet. "There's got to be some kind of magic in the world that can bring you back! Magica was trapped for years without a body, and she was able to return. And she gave you a body, somehow. I know that you were real. I hugged you. I felt you. You were- you  _are_ \- still a real person. You're more than a shadow to me. Always were, always will be."

Lena grinned back. "Thanks, Webby. For never giving up on me. Even when I give up on myself."

Webby smiled back, placing her hand on the cool glass, feeling so close but so far away from Lena. She glanced at her bracelet, and came up with an idea. "Our bracelets connect us, right? And they hold some sort of power, right?"

"Yeah, it seems that way," Lena shrugged.

"What if we cast a spell like the one I tried when we were in the Money Bin? Maybe I can get you out of there!" Webby was smiling from ear to ear, overjoyed at the possibility of getting her best friend back.

Lena considered the proposal. "I guess it's worth a try. But I don't know if it will work, or what could happen. Be careful."

"Here, put your hand on mine. The one with the bracelet," she pointed to the correct appendage.

Lena did what she was told, still skeptical of Webby's plan. Being trapped wasn't ideal, but neither was the possibility that Webby could get hurt.

The younger duck cleared her throat, and then began to chant, "My best friend, you took from me, let her now at last be free! Shining glass wrapped up in elm, release Lena into this realm!" she repeated the phrase, closing her eyes as she tried to concentrate, hoping desperately that this would work.

Their bracelets glowed in unison, and after a few moments Webby felt fingers intertwine with her own. She opened her eyes to see Lena pressing against the glass, trying to break free from her otherworldly prison. Webby pulled with all her strength, and Lena's arm was halfway out before it suddenly pulled back, Webby's shoulder knocking into the mirror as Lena's grip left hers.

"No!" Webby yelled, falling to her knees as their bracelets stopped glowing. Lena, too, on the other side of the mirror, dropped to the floor.

"Webby, it's not going to work. The magic is too strong," Lena hung her head in defeat.

"We were so close!" Webby got back on her feet.

"I know. Our friendship was strong enough to save me. But maybe it's not strong enough to sever whatever magic is keeping me here," Lena sighed.

"I'm going to free you, Lena," Webby laid her forehead against the mirror and placed both fists on it passionately. "You're my best friend. I lost you once. I can't lose you again. I can't," she shook her head. "I know there's a way," she looked up at the trapped duck, eyes full of determination, "I just have to find it."


End file.
